Killing hope
by LadyJessYU
Summary: "Do you think I don't want the same? Do you think I don't try my best to fight this constant need I have to be near you? You know the feeling, right?" she paused, waiting for an answer that would not come, Regina/Emma post season 3 finale.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

"Between what is said and not meant  
And what is meant and not said  
Most of love is lost"  
― Khalil Gibran

* * *

It has been a week since the unfortunate night. She spent most of her days sleeping. Sleep took over her and settled into her like a virus. She had neither strength nor will to resist it. On the contrary, she welcomed it; it was her only escape from reality because she dreamed of nothing and nobody. When awake, she would spend the hours of the day with Henry. She could tell that he knew something was not right and she was grateful that he knew better than to ask. It was too soon.

Robin tried to contact her couple of times, to explain even though he surely did not know how. Of course that he would choose his wife, she would have done the same. The fact that she understood him made her even more mad. But, hearing the words from him was not something she was eager to do. Their relationship will eventually get the closure it needed and however painful at least the outcome was already known.

Her relationship with the Savior though was something else. The thoughts of her haunted her every night. She tried to bury them by focusing on the work but, it was futile. Apparently, running from everyone unfortunately did not apply to her. Somehow, the blonde would always run to her. Her latest attempts of communication involved sending incomplete daily reports with personal notes attached to them. And just as the door remained shut, calls unanswered and text messages deleted so this notes remained unread. Anyhow, she was bound to stop soon. She had a new apartment to furnish, according to Henry, and baby Neal and the pirate to occupy her thought. One big happy family.

Dwelling too long on these things usually resulted in one too many drinks. It took a lot of liquor to blur the image of Robin's smile, the relief on his face when he saw his love was back, pitying looks she received from half of the diner. She resented them all. She couldn't help the feeling though it wasn't their fault. It was Emma Swan's fault and that was what hurt the most.

The sun was peeking over the horizon when she finally began to fall into a dreamless sleep. Alas, rest was not in the cards for her that morning. The incessant ringing brought her back to reality. It was David. She contemplated ignoring it but with every beat of the melody her headache intensified.

"What!" she answered, annoyed, "If this is another check-up call I swear…"

"It's not." he interrupted. "This is business. We've got a call an hour ago. Something strange is happening at the outskirts of the town… near Zelena's portal. We suspect magic. Can you check it out?"

"Call Gold. I'm busy." she lied.

"He is out of town 'till Friday, on honeymoon or something. Please. Emma's on her way there..." he finished the sentence hesitantly.

The mere mention of that name was enough to restart the whirlpool of emotions. She took a deep breath before answering, "Really? Is this some ridiculous attempt to get me to talk to her?"

"I promise you it is not." he said earnestly. He knew she would react like that, "She didn't want me to call you. I'm worried, we don't need another disaster."

"Fine. I'll be there in 20." she ended the call before he could say anything else.

She was there holding the phone in her hand, unable to get up. Her head was throbbing, not allowing her to form a coherent thought. When Regina finally mustered enough strength to get up, the room started spinning and she almost lost balance. She leaned against the wall to steady herself. After couple of moments, she slowly dragged herself to the medicine cabinet and gulped down an aspirin, then made herself presentable and disapparated.

She apparated 50 yards from the barn. It was the first time fresh breeze touched her skin in almost a week and it hit her like a bucket of cold water. Trying to ignore the chill, she tightened the coat around herself and started walking towards the yellow bug parked in the distance.

* * *

David had called Emma telling her to wait for Regina. So, she did. She was pacing in front of the entrance of the barn when she saw Regina approaching. She froze immediately, her heart pounding in her throat. Emma anticipated this moment with both eagerness and dread. She spent every day trying to contact the woman; she went to her house, called, texted and even wrote letters. And now, only couple of yards separated them. Emma stood there waiting for the inevitable. She was now close enough and Emma managed to only to say hi. Her voice was not her own but that of a sheepish child.

"Let's get this over with." Regina said coldly, not dignifying her with a single glance.

Emma expected nothing more and silently fallowed her into the barn.

"There is definitively magic here. Unstable, indefinable." she said, Emma knew, only to prevent her from asking questions. Regina approached the shattered object on the ground, examining it closely.

Emma noticed the larger piece of the object in question next to her feet. She picked it up to inspect the engravings on it. She recognized it as the urn Hook had found in Gold's vault. Before she could comprehend what was going on, the cold from it started to spread through her fingers making her unable to release it. She barely felt when Regina slapped the piece out of her hand making it roll towards the barn door. She then grabbed Emma's hand and rushed her towards the exit. They were just about to reach the door when the translucent wall started to form from the piece of the urn blocking their path. It connected with the walls of the barn and enveloped them. It was ice. Regina let go of her hand and, Emma presumed, tried to make a fireball.

"Damn it." she muttered when nothing happened. She crouched next to the source of the ice wall.

"What the hell was that thing?" Emma exclaimed after regaining her wits.

"Yet another consequence of your inability to _not_ touch anything."

After a short while she stood up and turned to Emma. Emma feared that the brunette would start yelling, but she calmly approached her and took her hand. Emma observed Regina wordlessly as she put her freezing hand into hers and rubbed it softly. As she did that, she brought the hand closer to her mouth and blew on it. Emma started to regain feeling in the hand again and felt Regina's lips brush her knuckles. Tingles went down her spine. Regina, as if realizing the intimacy of the moment, abruptly let go of her hand and turned away.

"I'll call David."

Emma could still fill the phantom touch of Regina's hands and lips and remained motionless from fear of it disappearing.

"David, listen carefully. Your daughter screwed up and now we're trapped here…Yes, she's fine" she glanced over to still motionless Emma, "I suggest you move those fingers and get the blood pumping or you and your boyfriend will be wearing matching hooks."

That snapped Emma back to reality and she looked at her almost blue hand. She started to make motions but everything hurt.

"…stop interrupting. Everything 's fine. Send someone to find out what they can on the magic of Arendelle… then go to my vault and pick up the yellow vial. It's the only one…hopefully, you won't miss it…"

Emma watched Regina try, unsuccessfully, to be patient. "…I don't have time for chit chat. Do what I told you…and bring your sword." with that she ended the call and turned to the blocked exit.

Neither of the women spoke and silence settled between them. This gave the blonde opportunity take note of Regina's appearance. She almost looked as immaculate as usual. But then, Emma noticed how drained she looked and the cold coming from the walls didn't help. Her eyes were tired and brown circles under them mirrored Emma's who had also spent many sleepless hours tortured by the events of that night.

"So, what's next?" she asked quietly as if not to disturb the silence.

"David will soon arrive and get us out."

"I figured as much. I meant after that."

"Nothing." she answered simply, sounding almost detached, "I go home and make protection spell for Henry and me."

"What?!" she was genuinely surprised. Of course, Regina didn't want to have anything with her, but this wasn't about them, "You're not going to help?"

"Well, I'm still recovering from the last souvenir you brought from the past. Wait for Gold and he can be your magical assistant for a change."

Emma sensed a surge of irritation coming but she fought it, "Do you really think we see you like that? Someone who does our dirty work? You are family. And we… I miss you."

For a while Regina stared at her, "You'll get over it." she answered, unaffected by Emma' words.

Emma raised her hands in surrender and moved as far away from Regina as she could. She wished Regina would yell at her, react somehow, anything was better than the indifference. She feared that after everything they've been through they were going back to the start. There was more she wanted to say but she could not speak. The silence between them was deafening.

* * *

At the far end of the barn, Regina was sitting on a bench, eyes closed, fingers massaging the temples. The aspirin did not produce the desired effect and the cold was becoming unbearable. It seemed like eternity since either of them spoke. Emma was pacing, trying to keep herself warm. All of a sudden she marched towards Regina. The brunette opened her eyes and slowly lifted her gaze.

"Tell me what to do, how to make things better. I cannot express how sorry I am to have caused you pain. So, please, just tell me what to do." Emma pleaded.

Regina did not let her gaze linger too long on Emma for fear of betraying her real emotional state.

"Would you have saved her if you had known? Oh, you don't have to answer that." Regina cut her off before with a wave of the hand, "You would have, undoubtedly. Perhaps you would have found another solution than bringing her here, but either way the result would have been the same."

"I just wanted to save her life." Emma repeated the words said that night. She was angry at herself for acting like a child caught cheating.

"So you said! You took away my soul mate!" Regina sighed, "But, funnily enough, that is not what angers me the most. It's your arrogance." Emma cringed after hearing the last words, "You think that you can do whatever you want, change the past, cheat death with no consequence whatsoever." taken over by the emotions she was breathing heavily, "So what I want you to do is stay away from me, leave me be." with that she walked away.

Emma unclenched her fists and let out a breath she was holding. "Do you think I don't want the same? Do you think I don't try my best to fight this constant need I have to be near you? You know the feeling, right?" she paused, waiting for an answer that would not come, "I spent my whole life running away. The night Henry brought me to your doorstep, I now know, was the moment when running away was no longer possible."

"That didn't stop you from trying." Regina muttered.

"No." she said with a soft smile, "The point is, now I know that this is my home… and it's not home without you."

"I am home only by proxy. My home is Henry. Only Henry now since the other part is happy with his wife. The only man who saw me and did not desert me…"

"Jesus!" she shouted making Regina face her completely, "Do you not get it or are you that stubborn? I know I said I was happy in New York but I never told anyone that every time I was alone I felt emptiness here." she indicated to her heart, her hand shaking, "Can't you see I cannot go on without you? I feel actual physical aching when you are away." she cleared her throat and pushed the tears away, "_I_ see the real you. I saw you at your worst and your best and I am here, never more resolute to stay." She took a step forward, Regina took a step back. It was the game they've been playing from the beginning. Only this time all of Emma's cards were on the table.

Regina put the trembling hands in the pockets, trying to hide the effect Emma's confession had on her. She never dared to imagine hearing those words from her. But she couldn't allow herself to be blinded again. She's been starving for affection her whole life and everyone used that to manipulate her. Her heart has been bruised, battered and broken too many times and Emma Swan would not be the one to deliver the final blow.

"Really, Emma?" that was the first time she uttered her name. It sounded so strange yet so familiar, "You expect me to permit my hope to grow for what? You? You of all people?" she sneered. Emma's eyes widened and Regina could see that the blonde was on edge. This was the moment to end this charade, "You say you see me, but you don't see yourself. When you barged into my life you were different, flawed and aware of it. You were real. Now you are merely a caricature of yourself. People see you as this infallible Savior and you surrendered to the role. You're losing yourself in it and one day you will snap. Trust me I know." the sound of genuine concern managed to escape through the cracks, "You are not a superhero; this is not your fortress of solitude. Your destiny was to break the curse and destroy the Evil Queen. Congratulation! But after everything that's happened, you can at least let me keep my dignity." only when she finished the speech which left her breathless did she realize how close they stood. She could almost hear Emma's heart breaking. She rendered the blonde speechless and that was the point. It took a while before she registered the faint sound of ringing. She somehow managed to answer the phone. David was standing in front of the barn waiting further instructions.

Emma couldn't hear the conversation; sound grew faint in her ears. For a while, she was absent. She was cheated, betrayed by her own heart. She believed, now more than ever, that there must be something self-destructive inside of her to want to stay connected to this woman. To believe that somewhere deep down Regina cared for her was a mistake.

Her father's voice shook her out of the thoughts, "Emma, are you ok? What happened between you two?" he asked anxiously.

She just stared blankly at him for a moment and the looked over his shoulder only to see Regina disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"Talk to me, honey? Say something." David shook her gently.

"Nothing happened, nothing that means anything." she said tremulously. Regina may have decided single-handedly ended everything but that was the last time she will let anyone decide for her. She will not let Regina's words kill her. Regina did not care for her and Emma will learn to stop caring for her too and endure for the sake of everyone around her. Nobody can have everything.

When she wouldn't move, David wrapped his arm around her shoulder and directed her towards the car.

* * *

Both women spent the night staring into darkness. Emma because Regina did not believe her words, Regina because Emma did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the lovely people who followed and reviewed the story, I decided to continue.**  
**Warning: I had to incorporate OQ and CS in the story (just in this chapter probably) because they are/were cannon and it seemed strange to ignore it.**

* * *

It was an incredibly warm evening, probably one of the first announcing the arrival of spring. Yes, spring was in the air, the time when the nature awakens, flowers bloom, animals wake from deep slumber and birds chirp happily… perfect time to focus on a new beginning. And in moments like this, Emma believed it would be a better one. As the Sun was dancing on the horizon, she was sitting on a bench on the pier, determined to spend her days with the people who cared about her and not think about the one who did not. The tale of Hook's another lost battle against the modern technology caused her to laugh heartily.

"That coffee maker is a bloody nuisance, I tell you." he declared.

It took her a while to steady herself. When she looked into his eyes she saw glee disappear from them only to be replaced by a contemplative expression. That puzzled her for a moment. "What's wrong? Oh, don't tell me you're mad because I laughed." she chuckled to lighten the mood.

"It's not that, you know I enjoy your smiles…I didn't ask yesterday but now I'd like to know." he took a deep breath as if to pluck up the courage, "What happened in that barn?"

She was taken aback, she wasn't expecting him to ask that now. And talking about it wasn't on her agenda. Ever. "So, you would rather talk than do this?" Emma leaned and pressed her lips against his.

He smirked as she deepened the kiss. The touch of her lips on his felt incredible. It made his heart beat faster. But he wanted more than that, he wanted her to trust him and share with him whatever was troubling her. He reluctantly pulled away. Sometimes he hated being the good guy. "Stop for a moment, Swan."

"Why?" she asked, frustration slowly taking over her.

"I'm not demanding to know but I see it is torturing you and apparently talking helps."

"Oh, so now we're sharing." she flared up, "What about when Zelena cursed you? You weren't in the sharing mood then." She got up and started to walk away. She couldn't tell anyone, least of all him. He wouldn't understand, nobody would. Anyhow, in time she would get over it and there would be nothing to tell.

"I'm sorry. I won't ask again." he shouted after her.

Emma took a deep steadying breath and turned around. "There's nothing to tell, Killian. She's done with me and I with her. We finally got rid of each other." she told him and gave a weak smile to reassure him she was fine with it.

"Aye." she didn't actually tell him anything but he figured the topic was closed, "The boy will ask, no doubt. So think of an answer for this was not a good one." He came close to her and took her hand. It was trembling and they both pretended it was from the gust of sea wind.

"I forgot the keys to the station at Mary Margaret and David's. Walk me?" she whispered.

"I would never miss a chance to see my mate."

Emma just chuckled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

* * *

Having a secret meeting with a married man was not something had Regina ever deemed possible. But then again, recent events proved that almost everything was possible. And so there she was, gazing into the woods from where he was bound to show up. Contemplating what to say, she didn't see him approach her.

"Regina." he said quietly, not to frighten her, "I'm happy to see you, at last." He went in for a hug but promptly realized that would be inappropriate.

"Yes. It's time we talked." Words came heavy across her lips. She didn't know how to act.

"How are you? You look a bit tired." he noted.

"I am…no, not fine really." And there it was. She couldn't even bother to pretend. She lowered her head, ashamed of her own weakness.

"Hey, hey." he raised her chin and put a hand on her shoulder, "I know. Neither am I… I miss you."

Regina shook her head. She didn't need him to say that, to be so considerate. It made everything harder. "How's… everybody?" she inquired just so he could talk and not her. Talking required effort.

"Good. Roland misses you." they both smiled at the memories the three of them shared, "And Marion's coping, I guess."

"Did you tell her…" she did not know how to finish the question.

"Most of it." they both knew what he did and did not tell. Telling your wife that your apparent soul mate was the Evil Queen was not something you wanted to do. "It is difficult for her. Especially since within her timeline she was apart from us for a short while. She is my wife and I…"his voice was cracking, "I love her, but that doesn't change the fact that…"

"I know. And, as much as I hate to admit, I do understand."

They stood there in silence. There was not much more to say on the subject that the other one did not know.

Regina cleared her throat and pulled out the small locket from her pocket. "I brought this. It's for Roland. Some strange magic was brought through the portal and this will protect him. For a while at least, the effect will wear off in maybe 10 days. I just had enough to make four." she said apologetically.

"Thank you." as she was giving him the locked he took her hand in his. And the way he gazed into her eyes, with gratitude and affection was making her think about the things that could have been. It was pointless to do that.

"Please don't touch me." she murmured and pulled her hand back, "It's making this…challenging."

"I apologize. You do know I'm here for you?"

"Just not the way you used to be?" she remarked.

"No. but that does not mean I wouldn't do anything for you."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary. I'm staying away from this possible disaster."

"Then I guess we are all doomed." he joked making her laugh a little. "I hope you won't do that, give up on your family… Emma and you make quite the team."

Regina took a step back and regained her rigid posture. "I'm done with them, especially with that woman. I severed all the connections I have with her, apart from Henry naturally."

Robin just looked at her, squinting a little, while replaying their conversation in mind. "Who is the fourth locket for?"

The question caught off guard. He smiled a bit smugly; he did not need an answer. Her expression just confirmed what he had already known. "You forget I know you quite well. You care for all of them, most of all for her and she for you. Don't do something you know you will regret."

Hot tears burned in her eyes and she knew it was futile to fight them. "I trusted her." she admitted through sob. He swiftly closed the gap between them and cradled her in his arms.

* * *

"It's not much but it's something." David tried to remain optimistic.

"Maybe for you. I knew more than that already. We have to wait for Gold." her migraine was starting again. She hated knowing almost nothing about the potential treat.

David waited for her to continue, but she was silent. "Well could you share the 'more' part?" he asked while trying not to raise his voice. Mary Margaret and the baby were sleeping in the other room.

"It's more of a rumor than a proven fact. Apparently some royals of Arendelle inherited more than blue… "Regina halted when she heard a knock on the door. Hook and Emma did not wait for a reply and entered.

"Hey, David, I forgot…" she froze when she saw Regina sitting at the table. Their eyes locked for a moment but Regina quickly averted the gaze. Emma blinked couple of times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"The keys, mate." Hook filled in. "Your Majesty." he nodded to Regina.

"Captain."

"Sure, but since you are both here, sit. Saves me the trouble of having the same conversation twice."

Hook sat next to Regina. Emma couldn't be so close to her. "I'll make tea. Anyone want some?" she offered, though she craved something stronger, much stronger. They all shook their heads.

"Ok then." David said, "ll give you two the cliff notes. The magic at the barn was one last encountered in Arendelle. However, that was a century ago. At the time, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles was betrothed to the younger princess of Arendelle, the only living family member of the Queen. Magic was a big threat to the kingdom then and the queen couldn't protect her people. She fled and left them to fend to themselves. So, prince Hans searched the realms for the Great Wizard since his own brother, the king, wouldn't help. He eventually found the Wizard who purged the kingdom of the treat and Hans was crowned King Hans I. He closed the door of the kingdom to all magical realms and that was the last time anyone from our realm recorded anything about that."

"By purged you mean…" Hook made the gesture of cutting the throat with a knife.

"No! He banished them to other realms." David replied as if that was the only solution imaginable, "Regina has more information on the topic."

But Regina did not hear him. All the while he was talking she was staring at the cup in front of her watching the lights play on the surface of the coffee. She was feeling every move Emma made while roaming the kitchen and could only focus on that.

"Regina?"

She snapped back to reality. "Yes?" she looked up at David and he indicated that it was her turn to speak, "Right…Gold told me something while teaching me about the cyrokinetic powers." noticing the puzzled looks on their faces she clarified, "It means that one can control natural elements. Anyway, it was rumored that the Queen had magic, innate magic. She could nearly perfectly manipulate cold and ice. She wasn't allowed to practice it and she barely had contact to the outside world. Hans found out and blackmailed her. She lost control and almost killed her sister. That was why she fled and that was how Hans was able to ascend the throne… With the engravings on the urn and this I presumed the person from the urn must be her or someone from her bloodline. Only a handful of people could wield any of the cyrokinetic powers to that extent."

"Do you think he might be the Wizard?" David inquired.

"Maybe, I never asked. I didn't really care."

"No surprise there." Emma muttered under her breath but Regina heard it clearly. She bit back the retort and ignored the sharp pain Emma's words caused.

"If nobody has any more questions, I'll be on my way. The newlyweds will return tomorrow and hopefully shed some light on all this." she stood up and headed for the door, "David? A word."

"O...ok?" he stuttered. He looked at Emma for a possible explanation but she was looking at her feet.

They spoke in hushed voices, so Emma couldn't hear them. She was trying to discern what they were talking about when Hook's voice startled her. "Another ice queen? That will be fun, eh?"

"Yeah." she replied begrudgingly and left the room.

"It was a joke, love." it was his attempt to cheer her up. Since they arrived she barely said a word and not once made eye contact with him.

"I don't know what to say." David admitted as Regina handed him the locket.

"Well, you lot have a knack for getting in trouble…and I had enough ingredients to make an extra." she said trying to sound indifferent.

"Well, thank you anyway." he smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. It made them both feel uncomfortable so he quickly pulled away.

"Don't mention it. I'm serious." she said in almost threatening voice and left.

When Emma heard the door close she returned to the room only to see David smiling at the object holding in his hand. "What's going on?"

"It seems your mother was right after all. She's changed."

"Meaning?"

"Regina gave us this locket as a temporary protection against that ice magic."

The gesture filled Emma with anger. Regina was clear about her involvement in all this and then she went and did something... thoughtful. It felt like she was toying with her, testing her limits. On the other hand, she knew Regina was stubborn enough not to go back on her word. The only logical answer was Henry. "I'm sure Henry told her to do that."

"Whatever the reason, you take it. You patrol the town almost all day."

"I'm not taking that."

"Come on Swan… "Hook interjected.

"I don't need it." she raised her voice, "I don't need her to survive." When nobody said a word she shook her head and added. "Let's go, Killian. I took the keys."

As Hook walked her home, neither he nor Emma said a word. They were so engrossed in their thoughts they did not even notice the eerie mist rising from within the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Henry had not once in 10 days asked about his mothers' fight. He had figured it out almost immediately. Emma had brought Marion back from the past and ruined Regina's relationship with Robin Hood. She had tampered with one of the main rules of time travel; she should have known better. He was so mad at her. He wanted to scream at her every time he recalled Regina's watery eyes and tear-smeared mascara. He was mad at Regina too, for closing herself up, for not confiding in him or anyone else, for treating him like a child, giving him weak smiles, pretending everything was normal. Yet, he kept quiet because he saw that it was killing them both. But enough was enough. After overhearing his grandparents' conversation yesterday, Henry thought it was time he voiced his concerns.

"Are you and mum ever going to talk about what happened?" he asked as Emma was walking him to school.

Emma was petrified for a moment before she realized he was referring only to the Marion thing. "You figured it out?" he gave her a knowing look, "Of course you did. We…we worked it out."

"You promised you wouldn't lie to me."

"I'm not. We did… kind of. We're not socializing anymore, not meddling in each other's lives." it was partly the truth, "But that won't affect you, we both love you more than anything and that will always be the case."

"That's what Avery's parents said when they got divorced and now he barely sees his mum." he said tartly.

"Come on, kid. It's not like either of us will run off to LA to scr… never mind. Our situation is completely different for more than one reason."

"So, if I wanted just the three of us to spend time together, it wouldn't be a problem?" They stopped. He saw despair in her eyes but, regardless, pressed the issue.

"Ok." she gave up, "We'll figure out what's best for you."

"You should figure out what's best for all of us. I'm not a naïve kid; I can take it whatever it is!" Henry was shouting at that point and people were staring. When he noticed he groaned, "I can walk the rest of the way alone."

He turned his back on her but she stopped him. "You're right. I'll talk to her later…I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too." he hugged her, tears welling in his eyes. He let go of her and ran to school.

* * *

Emma reckoned this day was going to be worse than yesterday. First the argument with Henry, then she had the meeting at Gold's and on top of that she had to talk to Regina. To clear her head, she opted for a short drive. As she was driving further from the center of the town, she noticed the windshield fogging. Stepping out of the car she realized it was freezing outside and she only had a tank top and her leather jacket. Emma took a closer look into the woods and figured the cold was coming from within. She decided to check it out really quickly; there was no need for back-up. As she was venturing deeper into the woods, she detected the rapid change in scenery. After only a 20-yard walk there was already snow on the ground, trees ware bare, branches like icy spider-webs hovering over her head. The deadly silence was only being disrupted by the sound of snow crackling under her feet. After a while however Emma heard a strange sound, like something was breaking. She pulled out a gun and crept towards the source of the noise.

She reached her destination, only to witness an icy tower rising from the ground. Emma rounded it cautiously and came face to face with a young blonde, the maker of the tower. When she laid her eyes on Emma she jumped back in surprise.

"Hey. It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you." Emma said softly and lowered her gun.

The blonde didn't believe her. "I will not be a prisoner again!" she cried, fear evident in her voice. Blue rays of ice slid out of her hands and were speeding towards Emma. At the last second she managed to avoid them, jumping behind a tree, the gun slipping out of her hands.

"You don't have to be afraid of me." Emma shouted to the mysterious blonde while scanning the area for the gun.

The girl, on the other hand, started generating some kind of freezing mist that was gradually filling Emma's lungs. It felt like the frost was forming from within her, she could barely breathe. Then Emma spotted the gun and hurdled towards it. She grabbed it and pulled the trigger but nothing happened, the gun was jammed. Emma fell to the ground, her entire body shaking: she never felt so close to death. Using what little she had of the strength she tried to unjam the gun. Succeeding in third try she fired into the air. That scared her adversary off who quickly disappeared into the woods.

Emma staggered to her car, gasping for breath. The sudden change in the temperature made her skin burn. Still not letting go of the gun, she fell into the driver's seat and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Her teeth were chattering. She did not know who had been more terrified by the experience – that girl or herself. Once she partly regained composure she tried to put the gun back in the holster. However she couldn't release it, due to the extreme cold her skin was practically glued to it. Emma took a couple of deep steadying breathes and forcefully opened her hand. She screamed for the bits of the skin were ripping from her hand.

"Shit!" Emma hissed. She was grateful she was not standing because everything was spinning. The pain was so excruciating she thought she might faint.

She managed to dig out the first aid kit and open it with her left hand. She poured the medicine on the wound. Tears sprang into her eyes as it made contact with her skin, it felt like being stabbed with thousands needles. After clumsily wrapping the bandage around the wound, she started the car.

* * *

"Something must have happened David. Call her again." Mary Margaret paced restlessly around Gold's shop.

"Why don't I start the story because it is a long one and Miss. Swan can join us whenever." Gold commented dryly.

"Because our daughter could be…Hello! Emma where are you? Is everything…ok…Yeah." David breathed a sigh of relief, "She's on her way."

"Then we can wait for her." Mary Margaret added with a smile.

After 5 minutes of silence Gold said. "I can't waste my time. I have important things to do." Ignoring others' objections he began his story, "Once, a long time ago the world, one world existed in harmony. Harmony was being preserved by what you might know as the Great Goddess, the divine feminine principle. She was, however, not one being but four; four nymph-like creatures known as Zeevas representing water, fire, earth and air. They were not good or evil; they did not have the power over life and death but had the responsibility to enable the circle of life to move in the natural direction.

But, as it goes, not everybody appreciated harmony. People become envious of the powers The Zeevas possessed and turned to destruction. Eventually, out of all the peoples' ill-doings the evil spirit Bes was born. He drew his power from sin and soon became str.."

"I'm here." Emma barged in, breathless. She was barely holding herself together. She was pale, lips blue and hair disheveled.

They all gasped when they saw her. Her parents and Hook ran to her.

Gold just took a chair and nonchalantly walked up to them. "Sit. Talk."

"Let her catch a breath first!" David shouted.

Hook took a blanket and wrapped her around her.

When Regina saw her she could finally breathe normally. It was not because Emma was safe, it happened whenever she saw her. She came to that conclusion recently. Every time she wasn't around Emma the air seemed heavier, it was sometimes hard for her to catch a breath properly and when she did it felt like she was breathing in smoke.

"Can you talk now?" Mary Margaret asked and Emma nodded.

"I was in the woods, where is winter by the way. And this crazy blonde was creating some icy tower out of nothing. But she seemed terrified when she saw me. When I tried to talk to her she attacked me, almost froze me."

"Well, well she hasn't lost her touch." Gold smirked.

"Careful, crocodile." Hook warned and wrapped the arm around her, "It's not funny."

"It is since Miss Swan here can't be allowed anywhere without adult supervision."

"Well I'm sorry you stuck us in your vault and then the portal stayed open for too long because you wouldn't let go of me." Emma snapped at him, "But you don't remember that so you can blame that on me. Well not this time." She glanced at Regina.

Regina stared blankly at the scene not saying a word. She was holding to the counter like it was the only thing preventing her from approaching Emma and making sure herself the blonde was all right…and then slapping her across the face for not wearing the damn locket. "Could we move this along?"

"Of course. As I was saying, after years of unceasing conflicts with Bes, all the Zeevas descended among humans and the final battle began. The forces of the two conflicting powers colliding produced a ripple in time and space and, hence, all the realms were created. They were all separated, their powers considerably diminished. To fully restore their powers, the Zeevas had to reunite. They tried to find each other and restore harmony, unite all the realms into one but, clearly, never succeeded. They, eventually, assimilated into the human society. When any of the Zeevas died, their energy transferred into their most worthy descendant, the one who possessed the right king of strength not to be consumed by it."

"Why is this relevant?" Hook asked.

"Because I tried to find them all once, so that my son and I could be in the same one and only world. The blonde Miss Swan encountered is The Water Zeeva, she is her descendant. However, it was impossible to find the others so I stored her in the urn."

"You stored her?!" Mary Margaret gasped.

"It's a little late to discuss my moral code." he casually brushed her off, "Anyway, my plans changed and I had to find someone to cast the dark curse. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you, Regina, were also The Fire Zeeva."

"What?! You never said anything."

"It was irrelevant at the time."

"That is my life! I had the right to know." she raised her voice and hoped it wouldn't crack.

"And now you will." he said calmly which he knew infuriated her even more, "Let's start with The Earth Zeeva. She was responsible for the flora and fauna. Also she was the protector of women, primarily mothers and their infants. She would spent most of her time among people and was thus most vulnerable and easily confined. Like the earth itself she was stable, dependable providing physical wellbeing yet most limited in her power.

The Air Zeeva was probably the strongest and most evasive of all. She was in charge winds, moving everything in the right direction but also of knowledge and rational thinking. She made people explore and yearn for freedom. She never spent much time among people, yet was the greatest protector of humanity.

Our newest resident's powers come from the one who could control the seas. You must know that water is reflective and preserves knowledge. So, Elsa is very impressionable and sensitive."

"Elsa? Seriously?" Emma muttered under her breath.

"Though she seems cold and if feeling threatened she may absorb your energy, her powers are limited and it won't be impossible to confine her."

"Well she seemed pretty powerful to me when she almost froze the air in my lungs." Emma interjected.

"Unlike you, I know how to deal with her." he stopped paying attention to Emma and turned to Regina who was impatiently waiting for answers, "And Regina, your ancestor brought fire to people and taught them how to make and use tools. She also fueled people's imagination and passion. A Fire Zeeva is a free spirit, driven by raw energy and passion. Her actions are based on intuition not logic...well we've all seen that first hand, haven't we?" he smirked. Regina was looking at him with disdain, "I'm not mocking you dearie, it's a compliment."

"This is not enough. I need real answers."

"And you shall have them as soon as I deal with this." he turned to the others, "In three days I shall have everything I need to trap her."

"I don't think trapping her is the right thing to do." David said.

"And I think I will make sure she can't kill me. I will strip her of her powers and you can do what you like with her…now leave, I have work to do." he turned and went to the back room.

* * *

"Hey Regina!" as soon as they stepped on the street, Emma called after her and she reluctantly turned around, "We need to talk. About Henry."

"Is something the matter?" her stomach turned at the thought.

"No!" Emma assured her, "It's just he asked today about our situation and how it will affect us." Regina gave her a strange look. "I mean both of us… separately and with him. I promised him I'd talk to you today."

Regina sighed. "Fine. Let's talk."

"Now?" Emma did not expect that, "How about in 2 hours at Granny's. I should really get Whale to look at this." she raised her injured hand.

Regina would have left it at that had she not seen the blood stains on the bandage. "I am quite busy doing my job. Drive to my house now, I will fix your hand and we will talk."

"You don't have to do that." Emma clenched her jaw, she did not want to have to own Regina anything else.

"I just want to get this over with. You can either fallow me or let Dr. Frankenstein make sure you remain in one part."

Emma figured she had a point. "But I can't drive with just left hand, I walked half the way."

"Follow me."

"I'll be there in a minute." she turned to the others, but they heard the entire conversation.

"See you later honey." Mary Margaret said and smiled reassuringly. She trusted Regina when it came to Emma.

"Shouldn't I go with you?" Hook asked pointedly.

"I'll be fine."

"You shouldn't be alone with her." he added, jealousy lurking beneath his words.

She took his hand. "I need to discuss Henry with her… How about this – Henry's staying with her so you go to my place, pick up Henry's bag and drop it off at Regina's and then we can go and have lunch together?"

"Only if I get a kiss in advance." he challenged and wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Recess is over Miss Swan." they heard Regina's authoritative voice.

Emma wriggled out of his grip. "See you later." she said and rushed to Regina's car.

**Thanks for reading. Next chapter - Swan Queen.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This was a difficult one to write and hopefully it's not OOC much. Anyway, hope you'll like it. Thanks for reading.**

* * *

The car-ride to the mansion was silent, neither felt it appropriate to start any kind of conversation.

"Wait for me in the kitchen." Regina ordered just as they crossed the threshold.

As Emma sat in the kitchen, she realized it was the first time she was there alone which gave her the chance to look around. Like everything in Regina's house, it was immaculate. However, in one corner she spotted two empty bottles of liquor and a half-full glass. She picked it up and brought it closer to her nose. It was whiskey. She pondered how long or not long it took Regina to empty those bottles. Hearing the footsteps, Emma quickly took a seat at the table. Regina entered the kitchen carrying a couple of vials, two red roses, a mullein flower and couple of the leaves of the plants Emma did not recognize.

"Let's inspect the damage."

While Emma was cautiously taking off the bandage, Regina took a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with water. She noticed the glass from last night had been moved. Putting it in the sink, she mentally scolded herself for not remembering to remove from Emma's sight the evidence of her newly developed drinking habit. She turned to face Emma but nearly dropped the bowl at the sight of Emma's injury. Almost half of her palm and two fingers were practically skinless and were now covered with what seemed to be a mixture of dried blood and fiber.

"It seems you do want to lose a hand after all."

"Yeah. I plan on attaching a cup holder." Emma joked.

"Naturally." Regina responded and a chuckle escaped her at the thought of the blonde's love for coffee.

Emma regarded this as one small step forward and decided to tread carefully so as not to fall into some trap which could take her two steps back. Regina took out a chopping board, pot, ladle, olive oil and honey.

"Are we making something?" she asked, confusion coloring her eyes.

"_I_ am making a remedy and _you_ are telling me about Henry."

"Right." Emma breathed out. Judging from the tone of Regina's voice this truce was short-lived, "He figured out…" she hesitated, waving her good hand between them, "the situation."

"He always was a precocious child." Regina commented and continued to dice the leaves and add them to the pot of boiling water.

"I told him we decided to keep distance from each other," and by _we_ Emma meant_ Regina,_ but she didn't want to steer the topic in that direction, "But that it won't affect either of our relationships with him."

"And he did not think it possible?"

"Can you blame him?" she retorted more angrily than intended, "He is afraid we'll start fighting again and he'll lose his family."

Regina saw the same fears reflect in Emma's eyes. She directed her gaze to the blue vial on the table, opened it and poured a couple of drops into the bowl. The water turned navy blue.

"Submerge your hand in here for..." to inspect the damage she took Emma's hand not so gently for she winced with pain, "at least a minute."

Emma just stared blankly at Regina, who was once again focused on her work of now crushing the flower buds to extract the juices, wondering if she even heard her words. She gingerly put her hand in the water. It was warm. It made her skin ticklish, but after about 30 seconds it began to feel like something was nibbling her. "Regina…" she called out. But then sharp pangs ran through her entire arm, making her jerk it out of the water.

Regina raised her hands to prevent the water from getting into her eyes. "What the hell is the matter with you?!" she yelled.

"Something in there was eating my flesh!" Emma yelled back, inspecting the wound.

"Well of course it was. For skin to regenerate properly damaged parts must be removed."

"Why didn't you say that earlier? It freaked me out."

Regina smirked and handed her a glass of liquor.

"Hilarious. What's this?"

"If I knew you were such a baby, I would have given you to drink this right away."

Emma put the hand back in the water and gulped down the drink. Whatever it was it was sweet, it tasted like strawberries, but it also burned in her throat. She took the pain stoically and stared at Regina.

"That's enough." Regina said after a while and handed her a towel.

Emma watched Regina pour the content of the two remaining vials in the pot. It started to produce a green smoke. Regina turned off the stove and waved her hand over the pot. The content glowed for a moment and then the smoke disappeared. She added a spoonful of honey and couple of drops of olive oil and stirred.

"So, what are we going to do about Henry?"

"I'll talk to him." she said calmly and poured everything into the strainer.

"And tell him what? 'Cause it's kinda crucial I knew." Emma was getting irritated.

"I'll tell him… give me your hand," Regina ordered as she sat next to her and Emma obeyed, "I will be there for every family or public gathering he wishes me to. His living arrangements are mostly settled," she took a small amount of the herbal mixture and gently covered the injured area with it. It was sticky and cooled Emma's skin almost immediately, "As for the two of us…" she glanced at Emma and put more remedy on the wound, "we will communicate only if necessary and only about work, though I can discuss that with David, and our son."

Emma looked for the good signs wherever she could find them and _our_ son was one of them. "That means no dinners with just the three of us?" she didn't know why she even asked. It was a stupid, unnecessary question.

Wrapping the bandage around the wound, Regina was silent. Her hands were caring, her skin soft. For the time it seemed that she was thinking it through. "Henry wants to be treated like an adult and he will have to learn that one does not always get what one wants or deserves."

They were looking at each other now, both trying not to give up the pretense they were no longer talking about Henry. Emma broke the contact first. "Yes. That's how the real world works."

They stood up and headed for the exit. "That means we're done now?" she asked, voice void of emotions.

"Yes." she heard Regina's voice answer behind her.

As she opened the front door she heard Regina's barely audible words. "Just make sure you don't get hurt again."

Emma did not respond just shut the door behind her.

* * *

She stood motionless on the porch and then turned to face the door. Up until a couple of moments ago she was holding herself together quite well. Everything inside her was screaming at her to move, get away from there before she made a fool of herself again. But number108 was hypnotizing her, making Regina's last words echo in her mind. Reaching for the doorknob, she figured that optimism did not skip a generation after all.

She walked through the house, her step faltering. Internal screams were now muffled by her loud heartbeats. She reached the kitchen and stopped at the entrance. There was Regina, sat at the table, palms pressed against her eyes. For a brief moment Emma thought of not disrupting her, but her desire to get the answers prevailed. This rare chance to talk to Regina alone would not present itself any time soon.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Emma uttered, not as confidently as she intended.

Regina jerked her head in Emma's direction, her eyes wide with surprise. Unable to speak, she just stared blankly at Emma.

"Is it some kind of a slow twisted revenge plan?"

Regina blinked couple of times in disbelief. "What?"

"All of this. You. One minute you hate me, then you save my life. You mock my confession, then you worry about my safety… all this in two days." the torrent of words crossed her lips and left her almost breathless, "Do you care at all or are you playing hot and cold or is it something else entirely?"

Regina stood up and crossed her arms. "You're the one to talk. Let's recap what had happened since you returned, shall we?" she paused, scrunching up her eyes trying to recall the events, "First, I am your primary suspect for casting the curse, then you claim that you _know_ I didn't do it even though I myself do not. And in between your not-so-subtle comments about my selfishness and your plan to take Henry away from me, you whole-heartedly believe in me being capable of producing light magic."

Emma could have said she had been tired of living in constant danger, that she couldn't stand the burden of being responsible for everyone's happiness. She could have also admitted she was jealous of Robin, that if she stayed she wouldn't have been able to lie to herself much longer. All of that and more was true. The words were burning in her throat, yet she kept them in. "Maybe, but that is not what I asked." she now moved from the door and entered the kitchen, her lips turning into a barely noticeable smile when she saw Regina's smug smirk disappear. She repeated the question calmly "Do you care?"

Regina was confused, even frightened by Emma's persistency. She needed a way out but she couldn't think of anything. "Henry couldn't bear if anything were to happen to you."

It was like a mantra for them both; whenever they did something decent, whenever they stood up for each other. It was always because of Henry and for Henry. And for a time it was the whole truth.

"You know what Regina, it's been a stressful day and I lost a lot of blood so you gonna have to spell it out for me." she took another step closer, "Yes or no?"

Emma was now dangerously close and Regina wanted to physically distance herself but she bumped into the table. She realized that it would take a lot of strength and control to wound Emma up, to temper with her superpower which apparently was very real when it came to her. More to herself then to Emma she said. "This isn't happening. Things like this aren't meant to happen."

"So, that whole speech about choosing your own destiny was just you putting on a show."

Like two criminals conspiring against the world, they spoke in hushed voices.

"Don't you understand? This is me making a choice. I _chose_ this. What you have with him is real. And this idea you have of me, of us can never be the way you imagine. I am spa…"

"Prove it." Emma's palm was on the forearm, their noses were almost touching, "Prove me wrong."

Regina closed her eyes. The right thing to do would be to push Emma away, break the contact and be done with it. She could almost envision it. However, opening her eyes she involuntarily glanced at Emma's slightly parted lips. She wordlessly asked for permission, asked if it was real. Emma gave a small nod, she almost missed it.

Emma's heart was beating in her throat, her lips a mare inch from Regina's, but she made no move or sound. As Regina's lips finally made contact with hers', she closed the eyes. The kiss was tender, almost chaste. Then it dissolved into a number of short ones, like she was testing the waters. Emma never imagined Regina as timid, it caught her off guard. Strangely, it was nice. She let out a moan and further parted the lips. The kiss deepened, she wrapped a hand around Regina's waist pressing their hips together.

Emma always found the clichés ridiculously unreal, but for the first time she sensed she was a part of one. Living in a town full of fairytale characters was bound to have some effect on her. Nevertheless, it felt true, it was real. She did not feel the ground beneath her feet. It seemed like they were the only two people on the planet, swaying gently in the air.

Suddenly, something happened and the spell was broken. The brunette's lips were no longer on hers', her body slipping away from Emma's hands. Emptiness and loss. When Emma opened her eyes, Regina was already two feet away from her.

"You see?" her voice was hoarse and she cleared her throat, "Nothing like you imagined."

"Yeah…" Emma breathed out a response.

"You can see yourself out."

Regina was already heading up the stairs when Emma decided to fallow. The bell rang. Their heads snapped towards the door. They froze.

"Your boyfriend's here."

Emma just turned to Regina who shifted her gaze to the door.

"I can't talk to him right now. Can you please puff me somewhere?" Emma asked gripping the banister.

Regina began descending the stairs. "Forget this happened."

With the wave of a hand the blonde disappeared.

As Regina reached for the doorknob, her face transformed into the epitome of composure and disinterest, the expression she had mastered so long ago.

She was greeted with Hook's forced smile. "I've come to pick up Emma."

"We finished earlier and she left."

"To her parents, I believe." she added after realizing she had sent Emma to her old apartment.

His expression saddened and she almost felt sorry for him.

"Wait here." after a minute she came back with a small jar, "Give this to her. She should apply it to the wound twice a day."

He did nothing, just clenched his jaw. "Your schemes are getting old Regina. What, due to the latest developments you opted for a gilt trip?"

"Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

"Keeping Emma close to you, away from happiness. And since the keeping-it-in-the-family plan didn't…"

"If that is some veiled reference to…."

"It wasn't veiled, love." he interrupted, "She deserves better than you."

"You clearly bumped your head one too many times if you believe I harbor any affection…No, I will not take part in your delusions."

Regina wrenched Henry's bag from him, shoved the jar into his hand and slammed the door behind her. Dropping the bag on the floor, she sighed deeply. "What is wrong with me?"


	5. Chapter 5

**This was supposed to be lot shorter story, but I just keep adding chapters. Hope that doesn't ruin it. Anyway, I want to thank all you great people who read this and especially those who review.**

* * *

When Emma appeared in front of her parents' doorstep she was at a loss, to say the least. She didn't want to go in there, but did not want to go outside either. If she did she would have to see people. So, she sat on the stairs, analyzing what had just happened. Her skin was burning; she could still feel the aftertaste of Regina's lips. If she were completely honest, a part of her had hoped that the kiss would disillusion her about the feelings she harbored, but the traitorous heart refused her. She only wished for her life to at least, appear simple for more than 5 minutes. It's her own fault, she admitted, her inexplicable need to know. And now, she believed she did. The kiss proved, she was sure, Regina did have some feelings for her, but the aftermath of it also proved that no matter what she would not act on them. Emma pushed and pushed and now that she knew she wished she didn't.

"What is the matter with me?" she exclaimed and slammed her fist against the wall.

Upon hearing the noise, Mary Margaret went outside to see what was happening.

"What…Emma? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised by the sight of her daughter.

"Nothing. Thinking." she answered flatly.

The lack of reaction surprised her even more. She placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

Without a word Emma stood up, her head bowed and let her mother take her in.

While Mary Margaret was making them cocoa, neither uttered a word. When she placed a mug in front of her sullen daughter, she asked. "How's the hand?"

"Fine, it doesn't hurt much."

"Did something happen at Regina's? Or with Hook?"

Emma chuckled. "No, it's not what you think. Don't worry about it."

But she did. With every word she heard, her concerns grew. Emma was unwilling to talk, and she did not want to pry the confession out of her. Nevertheless, she worried. "Emma I know you don't exactly see me as a mother, but I'm concerned. You can talk to me…as a friend."

Emma's eyes found hers'. "I do see you as a mother and not only in theory. But if I told you what is on my mind, you'd be mad and disappointed in me."

"Don't you ever say that?! I can _never_ be disappointed in you."

"We'll see about that." Emma breathed out.

They remained silent, drinking their cocoa. Mary Margaret glanced in Emma's direction occasionally, seeing she was on the verge of opening up to her.

"Isn't it strange how you..." Emma began all of a sudden like they were in the middle of a conversation, "can miss something you never had? How you remember something that never happened? And you know it's not real but those wishful thinkings feel more real than the actual memories. It's funny, right?"

Mary Margaret was baffled by the cryptic words. She did not know how to respond. Tentatively, she asked. "Is this… is this about New York? And the fake memories?"

But Emma was already back in her own world and the questions sounded like a distant whisper. "New York? What about it?"

"Do you still miss it?"

"A bit, it was simpler back there. But I would have missed my home more." she reassured her mother.

While pondering what to asked next, the two women settled into silence again.

"And then stuff happens." Emma resumed her train of erratic thoughts. "And you think this might actually be real, this might actually change things for the better. And you take this huge chance because you're honest and mature, you're different now... I am different now. I'm not so closed off, I talk about feelings and stuff?"

Mary Margaret just nodded.

"Exactly! But it's not up to me anymore. The other one has to make an effort too. But apparently, it's not worth it."

Emma was getting aggravated; Mary Margaret decided it was time she interrupted. She placed her hand over Emma's to focus her attention. "Did Hook say something?"

"No! We're fine."

"Are you sure? It looks like you're avoiding him. He went to pick you up, yet here you are alone."

"Killian and I will deal with it." she answered sharply. "I screwed up with Regina. She's not happy and it's my fault."

"Oh." her mother believed she finally understood, "You feel you cannot be happy without her being happy? But honey, sacrificing your own happiness will not make her automatically feel better, you know. I am not trying to justify…"

"I know. And you're right." she cut her mother off, "For the most part. The thing is…" she mumbled the rest and Mary Margaret did not hear her.

She leaned in, indicating that Emma should repeat.

"I can't be happy…without her... The end." she saw her mother's jaw drop and averted her gaze.

"Wha… I don't… what do you mean?"

"I think you know." she said quietly and focused back on tracing the patterns of the tablecloth, still refusing to look up.

As the words were sinking in, more and more questions were swarming in Mary Margaret's head. She was replaying every moment in her life that she knew somehow involved both Emma and Regina. There had to be another explanation for this. "Are you sure you're not… simply guilt ridden about bringing back Robin's wife?" she asked, hope dominating her voice.

"Or maybe I'm grateful for what she did in Neverland? Or that she gave us happy memories? Or that she broke the curse and saved my brother? Or maybe I'm trying to stay as close to her as possible so she wouldn't revert to her old self?" she paused, but her mother was still struggling to find the words, "I've tried to convince myself it's that but it is not."

Her mother gripped the mug tightly she could almost hear it crack. "Since when?"

"I don't know." Emma's voice was throaty. She stood up, "It was happening so slowly I didn't even realize it. And there was always some world-ending crisis. It's not like I had the time to figure things out." she was trying to justify herself, "And by the time I thought I did, you were all being whisked away to the Enchanted Forest and we lost our memories."

"I don't understand how, it never crossed my mind. From your actions I never would have guessed." then her eyes grew wide, realization hit her. She asked quietly, the question itself scared her. "Did something happen between you two when you got back?"

"She didn't even know up until couple of days ago." Emma turned red.

Mary Margaret slowly stood up. "I will call your father and you will tell us everything from the beginning." Her voice was stern and did not leave room for argument. Emma could just sit and wait for what was bound to be the most embarrassing moment in her life.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, with a spring in his step David entered the loft.

"Sit here." Mary Margaret indicated to the spot next to her

"What's going on? Am I in trouble?" David asked, flashing a smile.

"I think I am." Emma answered.

"No one is in trouble. Emma needs to share something and I think it's best if we are both here."

"You're pregnant?!" David turned pale.

"What?! Why would you think that?"

"That's enough. This is about Emma… and Regina. Emma will talk, we will listen and David" she turned to her husband, "you will not interrupt."

Emma took a deep breath, cleared her throat. "I think it all really started after I broke the curse. Maybe, I don't know. I found out the truth which was, as you know, a lot to take in. I was more than hurt that Regina lied to me. I know it wasn't in her interest to tell me, but still…" she looked at her parents. Her mother gave her an encouraging nod, while her father stared blankly at her, trying to figure out where this was going.

"And when the wraith thing happened of course I had to help her, she is Henry's mother after all...we fell through the portal and you were trying to mother me, Cora was trying to kill us and I started blaming Regina for everything… that is until we got back. Because when I saw her… I felt relief, not anger. I thought we could start as friends. But then I screwed up with Archie, I didn't trust my gut and when she gave me that look…I knew I made a mistake... It's her eyes, you know? They give her away. If you look close enough…" she did not want to go into details, so she chose to skip couple of things, 'Anyway, with Cora's arrival, Regina's murderous streak and then Neal and Tamara, I didn't really give it much thought." her eyes darted everywhere but in her parents' direction, it felt like she was just confessing to an empty room. Almost like the therapy she desperately needed.

"In the mines, she told me she wanted to die, to redeem herself. And I…" the lump was forming in her throat, "I wanted to let it happen. I thought it would be safest for everyone and I could start anew." she paused here, ashamed of her own selfishness. Her eyes prickled with the unshed tears. Her parents still said nothing, but from the corner of her eye she could see David fidgeting, impatient to say and ask so much. "If we're to get through this conversation I'm gonna need a drink."

"I'll get it." David jumped from his seat.

Emma and David gulped down theirs quickly, while Mary Margaret left hers aside. When Emma remained silent she said. "And then we went to Neverland."

"And then we went to Neverland." the words flowed easier when mixed with alcohol, "Walking in circles for days actually allowed me to think some things through. And Regina was on our side, she was fierce, strong, determined… I was so grateful to have her there, Trouble or no, I realized I needed to have her in my life.

When she told me about the new memories she would give Henry and me, I felt the overwhelming urge to… kiss her." Emma said the last part almost inaudibly, "Not because I was grateful but because I thought I would never see her again, never get the chance to... then again, I didn't want that to be her last memory of me, I thought she could never feel the same way for me."

"Why didn't you pursue it when you came back?" David asked, genuinely interested.

"That's the question you're asking?" Emma was confused, that was definitively not the reaction she expected from her father, "I figured it was futile, that she didn't see what I did. And she started dating Robin, so I just wanted to get away. I didn't really want to give in to the feeling in the first place, I fought it kicking and screaming, sometimes literally, but it happened and it's still happening and I can't stop it... I thought I could move on with Hook…" her voice cracked, she could not go on.

"But you can't." her mother finished and sighed, "because that's not how it works. How did she react when you told her?" that was really the revelation she feared most. The words that crushed her daughter.

"How do you think? She rejected me, almost laughed in my face."

At the sound of Emma's misery David jumped up but his wife tugged him back and silenced him with one look.

"Today…I don't know. I mean she's not indifferent as she would like to be, but I'm just not worth the risk, I guess."

At this point Emma was shaking, her head buried in her hands. Her mother rushed to comfort her. "Let it out honey. It's all right."

"No, it is not!" David cried in anger. Both women turned to him, eyes wide, "How dare she say our daughter is not good enough? She's the best thing that could ever happen to her!"

"So you… don't mind?" Emma asked cautiously.

"Oh, I do mind. You're shaking, your eyes are red, and you haven't been yourself for days. I've barely accepted the pirate and now this! She's manipulative, arrogant, and unpredictable, her moral code is questionable at best and she had spent more than half of her life trying to destroy us…"

"David!" Mary Margaret interjected when she saw the tears welling in her daughter's eyes.

"Oh no, no." he kneeled in front of Emma, cupped her face in his hands, brushed the escaped tear with his thumb, "I'm not mad, not at you. Whatever you decide, whatever feels right to you we will support you."

"She doesn't…" Emma struggled.

"She will." her mother wavered, "If it's meant to be, she will."

"But that's the thing." Emma faced her, "It isn't."

"You don't know that… I can't believe I'm saying this but you have to fight for it Emma. Either fight or give up."

"Yeah, like it's that simple…God, I'm so tired." Emma slouched and closed her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she was so physically and emotionally drained.

"It never is. Come on." David tapped her on the knee. "I'll take you home. You should rest. Peace and quiet will help you think about all this."

"You're so calm about all this it's freaking me out." Emma said as she headed for the door.

But they weren't, they were far from calm. Her parents knew that this day would be spent on finding a way to cope with the fact that their daughter was in love with their, up until recently, arch enemy… and dreading, thinking of all the things that could go wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina stood still in the messy kitchen, unnerved by what had just happened. What she had done. In the past, whenever she would lose herself it would be to anger, to lustful dark passion fueled by the need to control. This time was different. She was not in control, but she hadn't lost it either. It was something in between, something new. It was unknown and she did not like that. Grabbing the first thing she saw, she smashed it against the wall. She spent the next hour scrubbing every inch of the kitchen, like trying to remove the evidence of a terrible crime. She couldn't be in the house. The vapor of the cleaning products became unbearable all of a sudden. She had to get out. Putting on the coat, she checked the time; Henry would be out of school soon. If she hurried, she could get there just in time.

The walk in the fresh air did her good. It was pleasant, if she disregarded the encounter with Archie, whose annoying nosiness knew no bounds. If she knew he would be religiously dedicated to his work, she would have left him in the Enchanted Forest.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Henry asked as he waved his classmates goodbye.

"I felt like taking a walk." she gently brushed the hair out of his eyes, "You should get a haircut."

"Emma said the same. It's a new look. Are you two teaming up against me?"

"New look it is then." she disregarded the question, "How was school?"

"Boring. I have an English paper due Monday. I should pick up some books from the library."

"Shall we go right now?"

"Yeah. Did you see Emma today?" he tried to sound casual.

"Yes." she didn't want to talk about her right now.

"And?" he asked eagerly. He tried to find a clue in her expression. However, it was as usually unreadable.

"We will talk about it at home. It's not a street conversation."

* * *

They entered the library and saw Gold was there too. Henry rushed to say hello.

"Hi Mr. Gold, Mrs. Gold."

Belle beamed at the words. "Hello Henry. How may I help you?"

"Henry needs some books for a project." Regina said and smiled sincerely. The two women managed to bury the hatchet and she never disliked Belle anyway. Then she turned to Gold, "And since you're here, you can give me some explanations you owe me."

"Well, hello to you too Regina. How was playing doctor with the savior?"

"What?" her pulse quickened.

He smirked. He never cared about other people's relationships unless they affected him. But that didn't mean he was blind to them.

Belle directed a warning look at her husband. "I ran into David and he mentioned Emma got hurt and you're helping her."

"She's hurt?! Is she ok?"

"It was nothing serious, honey. She is fine."

"What happened? Does It have something to do …"

"Henry, we said later. Go find what you need while I talk with Mr. Gold."

"But…ok." he gave up and stomped away.

"Now, first things first - where did the power come from? You said only certain people were strong enough to handle it. So, why me? Why not my mother? Is it because she did not have a heart?" that was the thing that did not make sense most. Her mother was the strong one. She physically and mentally bested Regina many times. And not only Regina. Her mother thrived on magic, on the power it brought.

"I also said genetics played major role in the choice."

"So?"

"So, the power did not come from your mother's side it came from your father's."

Regina's eyes widened, she was speechless.

"Yes. I was equally surprised to discover that the spineless excuse…"

"Rumple!" Belle interrupted, "I have to go help Henry and you be nice." she whispered the last sentence.

"You gained the power from your daddy's bloodline, from your uncle to be precise."

Regina eyed him suspiciously. "I did not have an uncle."

"A half-uncle then. Your grandfather was quite the ladies man back in the day. He left couple of bundles of joy as a proof of his conquests." malice filled his voice.

"Get to the point Rumple. Who was he?"

"Slow down. It's a difficult task tracking down a deceased bastard, dearie. You should be thanking me."

"I don't think so."

"When I realized who you really are, I first had to find out when the transfer occurred. Remember when I asked you if you suffered through a serious illness of some sort?"

"Yes. The fever, when I was 11." she remembered it vividly; she had thought she would burst into flames. They'd spent a fortune calling upon every physician and healer in the kingdom. No one knew what was wrong; all they could do was ease her pain. Her father had spent every minute by her side, changing cold cloths, trying to cool her skin. He would tell her stories of great loves, in attempt to get her mind of the pain. Even Cora had been worried. Trying to keep her daughter alive, she'd turned to her magic books. When fever was at its' peak she would lean in and whisper to her. _"You cannot die my love. You are meant to do so much, to achieve greatness."_ Funnily enough, those had been the words that kept her going. It was years later that she realized their true meaning. She was a chess piece, an important one. Her death would have been a setback; it would have spoiled her mother's plan, "What of it?"

"That was not a typical fever. What you experienced was a painful process of energy transfer. The energy, the fire was taking hold of your body, settling in, forming a bond." he explained, "Then, via a complex blood potion I found the previous owner, that is, his grave."

"Who was he?"

"A blacksmith in King George's kingdom. He was the one who made prince James' first sword.. I'd assume our charming prince inherited that as well. People told me he was a brave and generous man. Doubt her got that from his father's side." he just had to provoke her. It was the way they communicated, "He died saving a child from fire. Life is full of irony, wouldn't you say?"

She hummed in response. That man was her family. A decent human being who she had never met. Only because his mother was, most likely, considered not worthy enough to even look at a nobleman. It was always the same – money, power and status. But it wasn't the time to dwell on that. "Why am I not different from other sorceresses then? As far as I can tell, Elsa barely had any magical training and she can easily build icy towers."

"That, dearie, is entirely your fault?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that the energy you possess can only be fully accessed when you accept it, accept yourself. And you still cannot come to terms with the power inside you. It's a shame really."

"That is ridiculous! I am one of the most powerful people alive."

"Nobody's denying that. But deep down, you still are that hapless girl who hates magic. The reason your magic has such a steep price is because you subconsciously punish yourself whenever using it, just like your mommy used to punish you." he smirked triumphantly. Though, for some reason he did not enjoy it as he used to. He reduced her to a helpless girl, one who nobody would protect, one who, in another world, could have been his. His expression softened and he reached for her. She pulled back.

"Henry! We're leaving."

He joined her presently and they left without saying another word.

* * *

On the way home she did not speak much. Henry talked and she listened. Or she tried to. She discovered yet another detail from her family's history. This one was about her grandfather's. It seemed her life was veiled by so many secrets and what ifs. What if her uncle was accepted into the family? Would he have tried to save her like he did that child? Or would he have grown to be like her father, a good but weak man? Would she have existed in the first place?

"Mum! The keys!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Henry. There's a lot on my mind."

"I figured. Don't worry about it. Can we have pizza for dinner?" he looked her with those puppy eyes she could never resist.

"Only if I make it. I will have none of that atrocious take-out." he gave her a toothy grin, "Now go, finish your homework while I prepare dinner."

He ate quickly, not only because he was hungry but because there was no talking at dinner. At least not about the things he wanted to talk about. "Can we talk now?"

"We can." Regina answered as she set down the fork.

"So what happened to Emma?"

"A young woman arrived through the time portal with…the others. She was trapped in an urn but managed to escape."

"Who is she? Is she dangerous?"

"She has magic. Her name is Elsa and…"

"From _Frozen_?!" he jumped in excitement, "The snow queen? Cool! But she's nice."

"I don't know what _Frozen_ is but I would assume she is. We don't know her. Emma ran into her and she attacked her."

"Is that why you gave me this locket? Maybe she was just scared."

"Perhaps. Anyway Emma got some frostbites and I made her a remedy."

"And you talked about…"

"About you ambushing her this morning? Yes."

"And you're friends again? You forgave her and we're family again."

He was interrupting her far too much, her patience was wearing thin. "Not exactly. We will always be a family, Henry. That can never change. As for…"

"How can we be a family when you don't want to talk to her."

"I did talk to her."

"Because you had to! Just forgive her so we can be happy."

"Henry, some things can't be easily forgiven."

"For me?" he pleaded, "You both love…"

"Damn it Henry!" she slammed the hand against the table, "Love isn't always enough…"

They both gasped and leaned backwards. That wasn't her, that wasn't her voice. It was like Cora was speaking through her. She was like her mother, crushing the dreams of her own child, denying him love.

Henry pushed the chair back and run upstairs.

"Henry!" she called after him. The timbre of her voice was apologetic, but all she heard was the door slam.

She waited couple of minutes for him to calm down, for her to do the same. She cannot turn into her mother. She had to fix this. Whatever it takes, she would fix this.

"Henry?" she knocked softly, "Honey? I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that... Let me in and I will explain everything."

She waited. She was about to give up when a small voice said. "You can come in."

Regina stepped inside and sat next to him on the bed. He didn't look up.

"What I said… I did not mean that Emma or I do not love you enough to try. You are everything to us, you know that?" he still did not move, just bit the inside of his cheek to stop the tears, "It's just the world of adults is different, more complicated. There are some things you don't know, things you cannot yet understand."

"Then explain them to me."

"I cannot." he opened his mouth to interject but she stopped him, "Because I don't fully understand them myself."

"But you will when you do?" she nodded, but he needed to hear the words, "Promise me."

She looked into his watery eyes and sighed. "I promise that I will do my best to make this family be like it should. And I will work on that with you mother." she did not want to put herself through that torture but she couldn't let her son down. He was her light, her salvation, her life, "I need you to promise me something, too."

"What?" he still didn't know if he should push for more.

"That you will give me time. What happened really hurt me, Henry." she hated being vulnerable, on the verge of tearing up, especially in front of him. A parent should always be strong for a child, "And if I am to have any kind of relationship with Emma I will need to do it my way. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, mum." he hugged her tightly.

"Good. Now let's go downstairs and watch a movie."

* * *

A loud bang woke Henry up from the slumber. He checked the clock, it was barely past eight. Why would his mum make noise this early, they agreed to sleep in. He wanted to turn around and continue his dream but something wouldn't let him. He reluctantly got out of bed and checked his mother's room. She wasn't there. He headed downstairs but stopped when he saw the front door wide open and his mother on the porch, barefoot, in her nightgown, kneeling like she was in pain. The scene terrified him, he couldn't move. But he was from a family of heroes and heroes did not run away when frightened. He rushed to her side and kneeled in front of her. She was shaking, she really was in pain.

"Mum! Mum, what's wrong?"

She looked up at him. Her eyes were red-rimmed; she was breathing in heavily and could hardly speak. "No air…" she was waving her hands, "Cold… coat."

He understood, he grabbed the coat and wrapped it around her petite body. He began running his hands over her arms, hoping it would warm her up. "Better?"

She nodded.

"I have to call someone." his voice was trembling now.

"No!" she was shaking her head frantically. She could finally speak, though her voice was hoarse, "I'm better. Help me get up."

He clumsily wrapped his arm around her and brought her to the nearest sofa. "I'll make some tea to warm you up"

He put the cup on the table and covered her with a blanket. "Mum? I should really call someone."

She shook her head again. "This was nothing, a temporary side effect of a potion. It's wearing off. I'm sorry I scared you."

"Are you sure it's that?"

She hugged him. "Yes." she couldn't tell him the truth. She had no idea what was happening and why. She had been woken from her sleep by a sharp chest pain. She could have sworn her heart stopped for a second. The air had not been able to reach her lungs. Opening the windows hadn't helped. She had panicked and run outside. It must have been some kind of curse; she had to look into it. But today she wanted to dedicate entirely to her son, curses would have to wait. She couldn't worry Henry.

They almost managed to have a lovely day. They took a walk, went for ice cream, talked about the little things... However, throughout the entire day Henry kept a close eye on her. He refused to do anything that could tire her, he even made breakfast.

Regina and Henry were enjoying a quiet evening, when they heard a loud knocking.

"I'm perfectly capable of answering the door." she stopped Henry, who was already on his feet.

She opened the door and saw David and the disheveled Mary Margaret holding the baby tightly in her arms.

"You need to come with me." David rushed her.

"Why would I do that?"

"Emma's missing. I'll stay with the kids." Mary Margaret said and walked past Regina.

"We need to go. Gold thinks he might have tracked her down."

Regina was about to follow when Mary Margaret's hand stopped her. "Please bring our daughter back." there was a mixture of fear and vulnerability in her voice. Also something else that Regina couldn't quite identify, "You know that she would have done the same if it were you… despite everything."

Regina didn't know how to respond. She just nodded and hurried to David's truck.


	7. Chapter 7

**I would have posted this sooner but I had the idea for a now story and could focus primarily on that. Bad excuse, I know. Sorry to keep you waiting and hope you like this one.**

* * *

"What happened?"

"Not sure yet. We'll know when we meet up with Gold. She's been missing for almost 10 hours. Last time I saw her was yesterday when I drove her home. She stopped by… after your talk." he glanced at her but her eyes were glued to the road. He picked up the speed, "The last person to see her was Hook, last night. When she didn't show up for work this morning…"

"Then it is safe to assume she disappeared around 8 this morning?" she interrupted.

"Yeah." he waited for her to continue. She looked like she wanted to say more but kept looking ahead instead. "So, when she didn't show up we assumed it was because she was overwhelmed by what had happened."

"Well that's idiotic. It's not like that was her first near death experience." she commented flatly.

"I wasn't talking about that." he turned his head to face her.

She chose not to respond to the implication. "Eyes on the road, Charming."

He shook his head, not really surprised by her reaction. "Then Snow called her couple of times and when she didn't answer I want to check up on her. I found this by her car." he handed her the broken item, "Her phone, frost on the edges. It must have fallen out of her pocket."

"Why didn't you call me right away?" she finally let her concern show.

"Excuse me for going to Gold." bitterness colored his voice, "But I didn't know if we should expect you to give a damn."

She swallowed back the response. He knew something. Only she did not want to guess how much, "I'm assuming he found her."

"I hope so." he let out a heavy a sigh, "Regina, I don't know what's gonna happen tonight but don't let what happened yesterday cloud your judgment. You… what I'm asking you is…"he couldn't phrase the request without sounding like a blackmail of some sort.

"David, you don't have to worry. If push comes to shove I will get her out… If it is the last thing I do." before words could cross his lips, she said, "Pull over. I see them."

"What did you find out?" David asked as they joined Hook and Gold.

"Nothing you'd like. Elsa took her, I am certain."

"Luckily, we know where." Hook added, trying to be less pessimistic.

"Why Emma? She has nothing to do with her. _You_ do." David tried hard to contain his anger.

"For information? To set a trap? Either way, she is not as smart as I remember. I should prepare you for what might have happened and might happen. If Elsa hit her with her magic one of two things are possible. She is frozen in the form of an ice sculpture, which I doubt happened since I was able to track her down. I believe that Elsa struck her heart."

"That is worse I assume." Hook said in a shaky voice.

"Indeed. It is worse than not having a heart at all."

"How?" Regina asked. She knew what it was like without a heart, how could anything possibly be worse?

"Because even without your heart you were able to feel something, correct?"

"In a way, yes."

"Exactly. You remembered what it was like to feel, you had some remnants of emotion left." They all wanted to ask something but he stopped them by lifting his hand, "That means she will show no emotion. She has no memory of them, like they never existed. Whether she is under Elsa's control, we shall find out when we see her."

"All right." Hook said, "What is the plan? We get in, grab her, true love's kiss and we deal with the ice queen once Emma is safe?"

David and Regina nodded in agreement.

Gold didn't, "No, we get the queen now. I don't want to miss the chance. This." he directed their attention to the small urn he was holding, "will trap her for a while. Some ingredients aren't available in this land to make a more permanent solution. Oh, and true love's kiss won't work."

"What do you mean?" Regina exclaimed.

"It can break any curse!" at the same time David shouted at him.

"Not quite. Once the heart is frozen, the magic creates a layer of frost over the skin. So, technically one cannot touch the lips. Only _an act_ of true love can thaw a frozen heart... Now as educational as this was, I think it's time we moved."

* * *

As they were going deeper into the forest, the fog was getting thicker. They assumed it was some sort of fog. The flashlights couldn't help; they could barely see five feet ahead. Whatever it was, it was cold and had no smell. It was almost tangible. They could feel it was smothering them slowly.

Then almost out of nowhere Elsa's castle materialized. It did not occupy a large area but it was very high, like a skyscraper. It looked like it was cutting through the air, resembling Regina's castle in that way. They walked cautiously up the slippery stairs, which was the only way in.

"Now what?" Hook asked once they reached the front door decorated by the carvings of snowflakes.

"It would be wise to act like Miss Swan is there as a trap. When we get in, one will step up to lure Elsa out so I can trap her."

"I'll do it." David volunteered, "I have the locket."

Regina pressed her hand on her chest. She didn't have hers. They left in such hurry, she did not even think to put it on.

"That won't help you. Most magic won't work in there. That's why I made this. My Pandora's box seems to have got lost somewhere between two curses."

"Then I'll make sure she is safe." Hook said.

David and Regina wanted to protest but were stopped by Gold, "I don't care who does what. You three can fight it out if you want just stick to the plan." impatience was palatable in his voice.

He pushed the door open and they entered. What they saw was a huge oval-shaped hall with the four supporting pillars.

"Look Charming." Regina pointed to the chandelier high above. Its' ice crystals were in the shape of snowflakes, "She must be related to your wife."

He just rolled his eyes and looked around. There were two rooms on both their left and right. Straight ahead were two sets of stairs that connected twenty feet above.

"We stick together. Room by room." David whispered and waved them to fallow.

He and Hook lead the way, holding their guns tightly.

It was in the third room that they found Emma. She was sitting on the floor; in an almost bare room which was nearly as big as the hall. They couldn't see her face, her back was turned on them.

As planned, David entered. They watched him approach his daughter. "Emma…" they heard him say and put a hand on her shoulder then jerk it back in shock. He rushed back.

"Something's wrong." he said weakly, "When I touched her the cold spread from her to me. Look." he showed how the frost gathered on his fingertips.

"Then we need a slight change of plan." Gold said look of contemplation taking over.

They heard some cracking coming from upstairs.

"No time for that." Hook said, "Let's get her, mate." he pushed David back in the room and they ran to Emma.

They took Emma by the arms and tried to drag her out. She didn't react. For a brief moment it seemed like they would succeed. But then, the blast came from Emma. Hook was thrown aside, hitting his head on one of the pillars. David flew past Regina and Gold and ended up in the hall, also unconscious.

"This is why one should always stick to the plan." Gold commented, almost unconcerned by what had happened, "Elsa must have heard that. If we are to succeed she cannot see me yet. I will hide there." he indicated to one of the pillars. It would enable him the perfect view of both the entrance and Emma.

"And I will lure her inside."

"Yes." Gold smirked. They really did work well together when they wanted to, "By trying to get Miss Swan out. Elsa will sense if somebody tries to make a contact."

Regina slowly approached Emma and crouched in front of her. She had to keep an eye on the door. Emma was sitting on her knees, eyes glued to the floor. She was moving her index finger over the icy surface, like drawing a picture. Her skin had a shade of silver in it, ice really was covering it. "Emma…" Emma stopped for a second but then carried on with whatever she was doing.

"Emma I can't do this alone." her voice was warm like she was trying to melt the ice, "We need to work together if we are to get out of here." Emma was unresponsive.

Regina didn't know what to do. She looked up at the entrance. The noise could be still heard from upstairs but no Elsa in sight. She rubbed her hands together to warm them up. "Miss Swan…" she moved her hand to Emma's head and raised her chin, making her face her. Then she stumbled backwards. For one, the magic was truly strong and she already lost feeling in her fingers. But that was not what shocked her the most. It was the look in Emma's eyes. There was nothing in them. Not disdain, love, hate, disappointment, fears, affection… she used to see all that in her eyes, but now there was nothing.

"Emma? Do you remember what we talked about last time?"

"Did you know that snow is colorless? It absorbs little sunlight and that makes it white."

"I…" she didn't know how to react. It was like Emma was oblivious to her. She looked up at Gold who motioned her to continue. The noise was getting closer. Elsa would be here soon, "I did not know that."

"Elsa told me." her voice was flat.

"I'm sure she did. You know, when you asked me how I felt about you…" she lowered her voice. Gold didn't need to hear her confession, "I lied."

"That was smart. That could have made problems on all sides... Did you know that snowflakes have six sides?"

"No it wasn't smart." She ignored her snow obsession, "I made you feel like you weren't enough and you are." her voice, her entire body was shaking. From cold, from emotions.

"Did you know…" Emma continued emotionlessly.

"Stop it! You need to wake up! She shook her, ignoring the cold. Patience was not her strong suit, "You need to fight this! Henry's waiting for us!"

At the mention of his name the flicker of something like emotion flickered in Emma's eyes but it was gone faster than it appeared. She continued being indifferent to her pleas. Regina stood up and rubbed her hands together again. They were marked with the spots of red and blue. Elsa was close, she could almost feel her magic. She focused on Emma again. Taking a deep breath, she forcefully placed her hands on Emma's cheeks and pressed her lips on hers'.

"Regina…" Gold warned, afraid of what might happen.

She knew it could never work, she heard what Gold had said and she knew theirs' was not the one. The cold was spreading, consuming her insides. But she was hoping that primal energy, that fire inside her would finally work and melt the cold down.

"Excuse me?" Regina heard a surprisingly calm voice. She jumped back. Elsa was here. She was younger that Regina imagined. She appeared to be in her early twenties. Her hands were clasped in front of her; she looked like she was uncomfortable for disturbing this privet moment, "Who are you?"

"Re…" she could hardly speak for the cold was still choking her, "Regina. I'm here to get Emma back to her family." She stood there hoping Elsa would get closer, just couple of more steps and Gold could trap her.

"She can't go with you. _He_ has to come."

"Who?" Regina feigned ignorance.

Elsa took a step closer and mouthed. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"She cannot help you with that."

"She's important."

"Not to him. What did he do you, anyway?"

"He made me use this magic." she was breathing heavily. The wind started blowing inside the room all of a sudden, "I didn't want to. It's dangerous."

"Calm down, Elsa. It's ok." Regina was getting worried. She stepped in front of Emma. The wind increased, the snow started.

"It's not!" she shouted against the wind, "I cannot control it."

"I understand! I can teach you. I taught her." she pointed to Emma.

Elsa must have sensed the sincerity in her voice, see it in her eyes. "You can?" she took another step closer.

Regina nodded with a smile.

But Gold was already on the move.

"Gold don't!" The force from the urn was pulling Elsa inside.

"Noooo!" Elsa screamed. The rays of ice flew from her hands. They nearly hit Regina, they hit the floor instead and recoiled. One went above her head the other struck above the entrance. As the door was collapsing, she could see now conscious David trying to get to them. Then she felt the force around her waist, pushing her to the ground.

* * *

She must have lost consciousness for a moment, she felt light-headed. Gold's hand shook her back to reality. She sat up suddenly. The entrance caved in and big chunks of ice were now blocking their only way out. And the smaller pieces were scattered all over the floor.

She turned her attention to Gold. He was hovering over someone. Over Emma. She rushed to her, though they were just two feet away. When she saw her, her heart stopped. She was dumbstruck. Emma was lying there, barely holding herself awake, her skin was no longer shade of silver but sickly gray. Her once white blouse was now red with blood, merging with color of her jacket. "What…"

"The chandelier fell and hit her." He pointed to a larger piece of a sharp ice stick that was couple of moments ago clearly nailed into Emma's lung.

"Her heart…"

It's not frozen anymore." he glanced at her. No explanation was needed.

She took Emma's bloody hand. "Do something! Help her!" Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't know what." he whispered, almost ashamed of his powerlessness.

"She cannot die!" she jumped, dragging him towards the exit.

She forced him to try and unblock the entrance. It was futile; all they did was leave bloodstains on the ice.

Emma let out a cry. Regina hurried to her. She kneeled and pulled Emma in her arms. "Emma… can you hear me?"

Emma looked up trying to focus her eyes on Regina's. "Reg… " she tried but the cough stopped her. Blood came out of her mouth.

"It' ok. It's going to be ok." Regina tried to reassure her, treading fingers through her hair.

Emma was shaking her head. "No…"

Regina didn't know what to do or say, she was just rocking her like a baby. "Shhhhh…."

Emma reached for her, her fingers almost touched Regina's lips. She looked at her. Both of them had fear in their eyes. Emma's hand fell limply and her eyes went dead.

"Emma… "she shook her gently, "Stay awake!" now she shook her forcibly. Nothing happened. She pressed her lips on Emma's blood stained ones. Nothing happened. "No, no, no. not again… please not again. You can't go now!" her trembling hands grabbed Emma, "I love you. Come back, please! I love you!" but Emma was motionless.

It was over, she was gone. Regina couldn't breathe. She turned to Gold, a helpless spectator. "Rumple…what's going on?"

He crouched next to her and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry, Regina."

She stared at him with a mixture of desperation and disbelief in her eyes. She was breathing with difficulty, like that morning. She grabbed his collar, clinging to it like it was a lifeline, "No. I can't breathe…"

"You're having a panic attack. Focus… "he spoke steadily, trying not to panic himself. "Focus on breathing."

She tried but there was nothing. Nothing to breathe in. "Can't…nothing…"

"Focus. In and out"

It was futile. Focusing didn't help. She was seeing black spots, "Henry…he can't…" she thought her head would explode any minute.

Not knowing what to do Gold just held her securely in his arms. Her body was shaking for a while before in went limp.

He placed her next to Emma, in a sticky puddle of blood. As he looked at the scene of utter tragedy, the realization hit him. He was the one to link them with the curse. Henry was the one to link them through maternal love. Magic itself created another link. Their destiny-defying characters created a link of true love. But there was more and he couldn't believe he overlooked it. Regina, in an unconventional way, made Emma move and do something. Made her warmer, made her face her feelings. Emma made Regina stronger. She pushed her in the right direction. Like fire and air when perfectly balanced. Emma was the third one, The Air Zeeva. She was air. And she was gone now. And when there is no air, the fire dies out too.

* * *

**Soooo befitting the title, right? Don't be too harsh on me :)**


End file.
